


A Bouquet of Bruises

by ratboijoob



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Good Sibling Diego Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Jewish Dave (Umbrella Academy), Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Child Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Past Drug Use, Past Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23527234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratboijoob/pseuds/ratboijoob
Summary: The apocalypse was avoided, Dave survived, Dave and Klaus are back in 2019 - everything is good.Until Klaus bumps into an ex.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 11
Kudos: 338





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First Umbrella Academy fanfic! Yay!  
> TW - past abuse, past drug and alcohol addiction, past rape/non-con, past child abuse

It's 2019 and the apocalypse has successfully been avoided. The Hargreeves siblings are working on their issues and getting closer, it's certainly rough and has ups and downs but they're getting there.

After Dave was shot in Vietnam, Klaus managed to use the briefcase to get them back. Hours of intensive care for care and he managed to make it out alive. Klaus had already told Dave about everything before this, save for the whole time travelling thing so that took some explanation. He's still adjusting, going from 1968 to 2019 is a big shocker.

His siblings had a lot to say, demanding explanations as soon as Klaus got back as if the dead man in his arms wasn't a sign to wait. Once Dave was stable, there wasn't much he could do to explain. He blurted it out all in once and his Luther chastised him, telling him to be serious, _'now isn't a time for jokes, Klaus!'_ he has yelled. Diego asked if he was serious in a wary, soft voice, his face filled with shock - Ben was pretty much the same. Vanya just stood there, eyes wide and jaw dropped. Allison just scoffed with a roll of her eyes, clearly not believing him. Five defended him which was as much of a shock to him as his 'story' seemed to be to his siblings - his little? older? brother scolded their siblings, calling them idiots for not noticing the obvious things. Klaus thinks he may have cried a little.

Once Dave was awake, he held him close. Clutching at his hair and bear hugging him as if he'd disappear if he didn't keep a hold on him. _'I love you, I love you...'_ He had whispered through tears, the words split up as he kissed all over Dave's face. Dave gently ran his fingers through Klaus' hair as silently cried, whispering words of comfort until he calmed down. His family had just stood and watched while Klaus had his little meltdown and Allison was the first to introduce herself after, ever the charismatic and confident one of the group, and shook Dave's hand. 

Vanya followed, significantly more reserved but with a soft smile. 

Next was Five, with a small smile and a nod of the head towards Dave and then one at Klaus as if to say 'I approve'. 

Diego cautiously introduced himself, staring Dave down intimidatingly and proceeded to threaten to kill him if he ever so much as lay an unkind hand on his brother - _'I'd never dream of it.'_ Dave had responded with a fond smile towards Klaus. Diego just hummed and backed off. 

Last and definetly least, Luther: he didn't make an attempt to come towards the bed and shake Dave's hand or even introduce himself so Dave beckoned him over with a, _'hey there, big guy, you must be Luther?'_ Luther approached, almost timidly, before awkwardly asking, _'listen, Dave, you seem nice - a- are you sure you know what you're getting into?'_ It went downhill from there, Dave's friendliness towards Luther quickly taking the back seat as his proteciveness towards his boyfriend took over. Klaus tried to tell him to calm down and that it's not worth it as Dave had defended him, but Dave didn't listen. When Luther had begun to raise his voice, Dave didn't, even telling him to quiet down because Klaus doesn't like loud noises. Klaus' heart had swelled with affection. Luther eventually backed down.

Things were pretty good.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a beautiful day so far, not just in the weather. Dave was close to healed from his bullet wound and they'd been going out a lot more - on dates, to show Dave what 2019 is like, to try to ease Dave out of his fear of showing his love towards Klaus in public, etc.

Today they're going out shopping, just groceries for the house, payed for with his late daddy dearest's money. Klaus walks with a bounce in his step that's not because of drugs, holding his loving boyfriend's hand as they make their way to the store.

The actual shopping trip is as normal as it can be, if not slightly chaotic with Klaus trying to slip things they definitely don't need into the basket without Dave noticing. It had became a bit of a game. When Dave wasn't looking, Klaus would snatch something off the shelf and try to sneak it into the basket, he wasn't the most graceful of beings so most of the time he'd get caught with a very amused, fond smile from Dave and give a cheeky grin in return. They payed with Klaus only managing to sneak four things into the basket unnoticed. He giggles at Dave rolling his eyes at the foreign items as they were scanned.

Now, on the way home, he holds Dave's hand again, idly talking about whatever and laughing carelessly. Then he spots someone not far away, looking right at him and he feels himself shrink, his good mood gone with anxiousness taking over it. "Dave, can we—" He begins, his mouth snapping shut with an audible click of his teeth as the unfortunately familiar man calls out, "Klaus!"

He jogs across the road, going over to the pair.  
"Hey, Klaus. It's been too long, how have you been man?" He places a hand on one of Klaus' shoulders, gripping it and it burns. He feels a bubble of anger, how the fuck can he be so casual after what he did? But the anger is easily overtaken by the intense nervousness. He can feel his shoulders hiked up to his ears and his breath coming quicker, gripping Dave's hand desperately.  
"H- Hey, Brad...!" He tries to sound as he usually does, to not show his fear - it doesn't work too well. He splutters out a nervous laugh.  
Brad gives him a smug look and oh god, he knows that look. He needs to leave. He's not safe. Dave gives him a confused, worried look, gently squeezing his hand with a silent 'are you okay?'. He just stares back desperately before looking down.  
"And who's this?" He asks Klaus, looking towards Dave.  
"I'm his boyfriend." Dave answers for him.  
Brad's grin grows wider and the grip on Klaus' shoulder does too, "boyfriend, huh? Still whoring yourself out for drugs then, Klausie?"  
Klaus feels so pitiful, unable to do anything but quickly shake his head with a small whimper at the pain on his shoulder. _'How did I ever believe this man loved me?'_ is a thought that crosses Klaus' mind.  
"He's clean." Dave states, dropping Klaus' hand to put around his shoulder and remove the man's hand.  
Brad laughs. "Clean?! Klaus??" He wheezes out with a forced yell, making Klaus flinch.  
"Yes. Klaus is clean. He has been for around seven months now." Dave explains calmly.  
"Oh, you're serious??" Brad asks, raising his eyebrows in a sarcastic shock.  
"Yeah. Now if you don't mind, we've gotta get home." He doesn't wait for an answer before beginning to walk past.  
Brad follows. "Not homeless anymore, either, huh? Shame."  
"Shame?" Dave asks, a bite in his tone.  
"Well, it was always nice to give him a visit when he was fucked up in some alleyway. Give the little slut what he wanted, laying there all vulnerable. What did he expect, with those clothes?"

Dave decides enough is enough when he reaches to grab Klaus' ass. He steps away from Klaus, grabbing Brad by his shirt and punching him in the face a few times. He gives him one last hit to the stomach, winding him, before dropping him.

"Let's go home, Klaus, yeah?" Dave asks a shivering Klaus, very softly. He receives a small nod.

While walking home, he strokes Klaus' hair gently, whispering softly.

Once they're home, he sits Klaus down on the sofa. And then the dams break, Klaus sobs loudly, whimpering.  
"Oh baby..." Dave whispers. "Can I touch you?"  
Klaus nods.  
He wraps his arms around his boyfriend, letting Klaus sob into his neck. He soothingly strokes his boyfriend's hair and whispers comforting things.

Diego must have heard the cries because he rushes down the stairs, pointing a knife at Dave. "What the fuck did you do??" He snaps, making Klaus flinch.  
"I didn't do anything, please don't yell." Dave says softly.  
"Why is he crying then?!" Diego whisper-yells.  
"We ran into someone, I think he knew him? Klaus pretty much broke down as soon as he saw him."  
"Name?"  
"Brad, I think? Why?"  
Diego growls. "That fucking bastard. I told him never to show his face anywhere near my brother again."

"What? Diego, who is he??" Dave questions as Diego cradles a knife in his hand and tapping his foot as if he's itching to go stab whoever Brad is.  
"Klaus' ex." He hisses out, pacing now.  
"Judging by how you're acting, I assume it wasn't the healthiest relationship...?"  
"He was 15! And that fucker was 20!" Diego yells, whispering a soft, 'sorry, Klaus,' when the still sobbing man flinched and whimpering into Dave's neck.  
"That's not all either. But I-I shouldn't be the one to tell you, especially if Klaus doesn't want me to." Knife boy continues, giving Klaus a sympathetic look.  
"G- Gimme a second..." The seance finally speaks up with a shaky, self deprecating laugh.  
"Take your time, sunshine." Dave says, kissing his forehead.

A few minutes later and Klaus has mostly calmed down. He sits up. "Um, so." He begins uncertainly.  
"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want." Dave says, holding his boyfriend's hand.  
"No no, it's fine. Um, yeah, I was like 15. We met at some bar in the night after I'd snuck out again. I was fucked up but only on alcohol, I wasn't in to the harder stuff back then. Uh, yet." He laughs nervously before continuing, "he sat down next to me and we talked. He asked me what a 'pretty little boy' like me was doing out by myself at a bar. I was dumb and enjoying the attention, so I told him that I was sad and stuff... And he asked if I wanted something to numb it. So yeah, first time doing coke and first time doing... something else. He took me home with him and we uh  
... yeah. Daddy dearest wasn't too happy about the whole coming back in the morning hung over thing. Joy." He does jazz hands.  
"That's not it, obviously. We met again, a few times before we started dating, I thought he loved me - he did say so. We had sex a lot, he... liked how young I was. Said I looked fragile. Then we tried kinkier stuff just no communication, no safe word - I didn't think you needed either, till a certain someone taught me otherwise." He manages a smile and a wink at Dave.  
"But then I tried to tell him that certain things I was uncomfortable with and he didn't like that. Make me and stuff... Hurt me..." His voice has dropped to a mumble, gulping down the tears before continuing again,  
"I stayed with him after I left the academy - that's when it got so much worse. And I didn't even realise things were wrong because of Reggie. I thought it was normal to be hit and told I was worthless and unloveable when I did something wrong. He started to sell me to his friends and I hated it and I told him but then... Yeah. So I gave up."  
"One night, there was like three people and Brad all uh goin' at me. So I begged him, told him it was too much and I didn't want to. Diego found me that morning... Hurt. Bad. Had to go to the hospital. I didn't tell anyone but Diego who did it and I never went back to him."  
"I beat the shit out of that bastard. Made sure he couldn't get up to walk to the hospital." Diego intervenes in a biting voice, pacing now.  
"He'd find me in alleys sometimes, off my face and... Do stuff. He'd leave a thing of drugs and a note everytime, so I knew it was him."  
"I didn't know about that!" Diego cries.  
"We weren't talking." Klaus shrugs weakly. He sees Diego deflate with guilt and quickly says, "hey, it's okay, it's not your fault."  
"I should've been there..."  
"I don't blame you for not being there." He says softly.

After a while of silence, Dave says, "so what are gonna do about this?"  
"Leave it." Klaus says with a shrug.  
"Fuck no, I'm gonna bury him alive." Diego growls.  
"I'd happy join you in that." Dave says with a smile.  
"I just... don't want to see him again."  
"You won't if he's dead." Diego supplies.  
" **We** respect your wishes, Klaus. But if we see him again I'm gonna beat the shit out of him."  
"Fine." Klaus laughs softly. "Diego?"  
He hesitates, "just cuz you don't want me to." He flops down on the sofa.  
"Thank you."

For the rest of the night they go on a movie marathon, and things are okay.


End file.
